Of children, and other fluff
by WriteLiar
Summary: My favorite sort of Wheel of Time story to wright is about the lives of the main characters after the Last Battle. Fluff, fluff, and fluffy fluff! Expect more chapters later
1. Nynaeve

Elnore danced from one foot to the other on the stone floor. Winters in Malkier were cold enough to freeze a man to death in the day, let alone the middle of the night. With both hands the young girl clutched a blanket around herself. Even with the covering, she could not stop shaking, and her teeth chattered so much, she though they might fall right out.

She shuffled her bare feet over the rug outside her door, trying to warm up. When she reached the end of the rug, she darted across the icy floor until she reached the next island of relief. The hallway was lit by candles backed by mirrors, illuminating everything in a strange orange glow. It was just enough light to make out the scenes displayed on the tapestries hanging on the wall. Elnore's favorite showed a tall cherry tree covered in pink and white flowers. Two blue birds with long, flowing tails were perched in its branches. It was supposed to make one think about the cherry trees in the palace gardens that would come alive again in the spring. Elnore did not stop to look at it this time, but kept sprinting from one rug to the next.

Finally, she reached the door to her parents' rooms. She tried to reached the doorknob with her feet still planted on the rug, but her arms were not long enough. She was forced to step back onto the cold stone. Still clutching her blanket around her like a cloak with one hand, she used the other to pull down the knob and pushed her way in.

Her parents' sitting room had a rug that covered nearly the whole floor. It was also much softer than those in the hall. The fire in the big fireplace had died down to red coals. There was not enough light to see by, but enough to make all the shadows grow until they loomed over her. They scared her, but she did the trick that her da had taught her; she pretended that she was braver than the shadows were scary.

Elnore only stubbed her toes twice as she made her way across the room by memory. When she reached the bedroom door, she found the knob and entered as quickly as she could. Usually she supposed to knock and wait, but Da was not home, and when Da was not home Mama said that she could just come in. She ran to the big bed.

"Mama… Mama!" She whispered fiercely. She wanted her mama to be awake if the shadows started following Elnore in. Her mama was special – she was Aes Sedai – and could protect her from anything.

Elnore dropped her blanket to shake the sleeping form with both hands.

"Ma-maa!" Finally, Nynaeve ti al'Meara Mandragoran rolled over to look at her daughter through half-lidded eyes.

"What is it, Elnore?" She snapped, still half asleep.

"I'm _cold!_ "

"Of course you're cold," She took in Elnore's shivering form, still waking up. "it's winter. Why didn't you ask Marla for more blankets?" She yawned. Elnore's nurse, Marla Sete, slept in a room attached to hers and her brother's rooms.

Elnore's lips tightened. "I wanted _you_! And…" She looked over her shoulder to see if any shadows had, in fact, followed her. "I'm scared…"

Nynaeve sighed, but her eyes became less grumpy. "It's alright. Here," she patted the empty space beside her. "you can sleep on your Da's side." Elnore ran around the bed and jumped in.

"Grab the blanket, sweetling – at the end of the bed. I'm too big to get it," Nynaeve sighed. Elnore put a hand on her mama's melon-sized stomach. "Baby is in the way." She explained. Nynaeve smiled slightly. "Yes," She said. "he is. Hopefully he comes soon so he will not be in the way anymore." Elnore pulled the fleece blanket over both of them and snuggled under it, and the other four that were already on the bed.

"Oh," Nynaeve gasped. "you are cold!"

"I know…" Elnore mumbled, already getting warmer and sleepier as her mother held her close under layers of wool and fleece. Nynaeve also began slipping into dreams.

"Hush… go to sleep…"


	2. Pevara

Seaine glance up from her book, _Ponderings_ by Pelateos, when a sharp knock came at the door of her sitting room. The room was the first of a set of small rooms that made up her apartment, the door led out to the main hallway, which was lined by a dozen more doors. That was where/span the Aes Sedai stayed while they were in the Black Tower, in a building comprised of many small apartments. Seaine had arrived with the forty-seven Aes Sedai sent to bond men who could channel, not the forty-seven captured, but from what she had heard from them, the new accommodations exceeded the canvas walled closets the first Aes Sedai in the Black Tower had experienced by leaps and bounds.

Seaine put down her book with a sigh and had to take only two steps to reach the door. She opened it and her eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"Pevara!" She exclaimed, breaking into a smile "This is a pleasant surprise – please come in." The plump woman in the hallway smiled back warmly. She entered, settling herself in the ladder-backed chair opposite the one Seaine had just vacated, while Seaine busied herself with making tea.

"Is it?" Pevara asked lightly. "I wanted to pay you a visit after you all arrived, but that was certainly not the time to catch up with friends." It certainly had not been. The forty-seven Aes Sedai had entered the Black Tower just after Logain had gained control and the Asha'man had purged their ranks of darkfriends and sent them on the run. However, there had still been much of the Last Battle left to fight.

"I am glad to see you have settled in. I'm afraid some of the other sisters are still quite miffed at me." Seaine supposed she was settled in at that. She had moved in with her traveling trunk and only what was in her saddlebags. There did not seem to be any point of moving things in from her rooms in the Tower to the ones here. Or… was there? She was in a difficult position – although she had bonded Nolan, he would certainly never go with her to the White Tower, and so, she was still trying to reason out whether she would realistically be spending more time in the Black Tower or Tar Valon. A puzzle still that, and she had bonded him over a month ago.

"Yes, well," Seaine poured tea into two cups patterned with tiny blue flowers. "I would like to know some more about the… situation we were put into from you." Pevara raised her eyebrows from over her cup, poorly faining innocence. "We come to the Black Tower expecting to bond full Asha'man," Seaine continued, "not Dedicated and soldiers." She would not deny that she had been 'miffed' as well. "And do not start with what Androl said about there being no Asha'man around at the time other than himself and Logain. I saw some walking around not two hours after I bonded Nolan."

Pevara twisted her lips and sighed. "Seaine, I tried to explain at the time." She said, "You all rode in here wanting bond Asha'man without knowing or caring whether or not they wanted it. Or whether or not they would do well as Warders. I know that there is a difference between men who will or will not make good Warders, even being a Red!" There was heat in her voice, although her face remained cool.

"The first forty-seven sisters were certainly bonded without those consideration." Seaine said, almost off-handedly.

"And that was wrong." Pevara said. "You would have one injustice answered with another?"

"Wasn't that part of what the mission was about?"

"I would hope not." Pevara's voice seemed to cut the air. Neither of them spoke or made eye contact for several long moments.

The plump woman sighed and look at her with regret. "Oh, I did not come here to argue with you, Seaine. I would much rather talk of lighter things with you."

Seaine smiled, reaching out to grasp her hand. "You're right. Here we are, trying to restart a friendship and we end up at odds. What would you like to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know." Pevara sipped her tea. "How are you doing with Nolan?"

Seaine sipped her own tea. "I think he is adjusting very well. For all that he cannot be compelled with the bond, he listens well and obeys for the most part." Too bitter. She stirred in some honey. "He overspent himself at Tarwin's Gap and has had to be of channeling for a time. He is excited to finally be back at training."

"Androl says that he will be made an Asha'man before the end of the year, if he keeps on as he has."

Seaine smiled at her friend over her teacup. Well, she had not been the only one wondering, and she wanted to hear it confirmed from Pevara herself. "It's true that you said the Red Ajah ought to allow Warders, isn't it? You must glad to have Androl then." To some, Pevara's smile would have seemed to be simply pleased. Seaine saw something more.

"Oh, yes," Pevara said, "I stand by what I said when I was first made Sitter – Warders are useful to have around. I wish it would have been possible for me to have met and bonded Androl when we were… searching in the White Tower."

"You like him, don't you?"

"Of course!" Pevara was truly terrible at looking innocent. "I thought every sister ought to like her Warder. Hard to share headspace with someone you hate…"

"That is not what I mean, and you know it." Seaine did not try to hide her smile. Again, if an outside observer had seen Pevara, they could not have noticed would have thought she had found her tea too hot or her seat not quite soft enough, but Seaine saw that she was shifting nervously. That confirmed her suspicions. Pevara was extremely good at controlling her outward expressions of emotion.

"But I see you are going to make me be specific." She continued. "You, Pevara, are in love with Asha'man Androl Genhald."

Pevara quickly set down her cup. "Seaine, I hardly think you should be speculating about such things. Maybe I should go if you – "

"It is not just me, Pevara. I did not want to pry, a sister's relationship with her Warder is her own business, but you should know that several sisters have made comments."

"There is nothing for them to be commenting about," The older woman's voice was stern. "Androl and I have certainly not done anything to warrant that type of attention."

"Yes, of course not. Well, you have not done anything exactly…" Pevara's eyes looked at her sharply. "But rumors start from somewhere. Everyone sees how you two look at each other," Pevara was really loosing her typical cheerfully controlled demeaner; her dark were wide in surprise and her face was pale. "Have you not noticed? Oh, Pevara!" She did not bother holding back a small laugh. "I am of the White Ajah - my life is controlled by logic and reason – but I can plainly see he cares for you. Being a Red is no excuse for you – you like men and I have seen you flirt with them when we were younger. Could you not tell through the bond?"

Pevara sat there for several long moments, stare holes into Seaine's head. Suddenly, the corner of her lips turned up in the smallest hint of a smile. "I suppose," she said blandly. "I couldn't be sure what I was feeling wasn't wishful thinking."

They both laughed then, Pevara hesitantly and a look on her face that could only be described as slightly confused. She smoothed her green wool skirts, which did not need to be smoothed. "But, Seaine," The plump woman said, leaning forward and locking eyes with her. "I'm talking to you about this only because you're a friend." Seaine nodded.

"Please," Pevara continued. "don't tell anyone."


	3. Pevara and Androl

p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"The door knob flew from Pevara's hand to slam shut with a bang before she had the chance to control herself enough to close it more gently. It bothered her when she could not control her temper, but she didn't care a fig at the moment. Frustration burned inside her, threatening to boil over. If she could not slam the door of her own home in anger, then, where could she?/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"That thought made her stop in the middle of setting her bags down on the arm chair arranged cockeyed by the fireplace. The fire was alight, its blaze driving the wintery chill she had attained out of her bones. Her home. She straightened, glancing at the stone mantel. On it was arranged several ivory framed miniatures, each depicting the members of her family as she remembered them, before they were murdered by darkfriends. Yes - she supposed this was home now. That felt so… good. Definitely strange, but good./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"She left her bags and walked briskly to the door at the far end of the room and yanked it open. Androl did not even look up from the strap of leather he was working on./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;""Hard time with her?" He worked with the mallet and chisel methodically. He sat in his workroom alone, shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows and his black Asha'man coat carefully folded and placed over a wooden chest. Tar Valon was far enough from the Black Tower that the thoughts they tried to Send to each other were fuzzy at best. They could still feel each other's emotions, though; as strongly, she believed, as an Aes Sedai and Warder could feel each other while in the same room./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;""As usual." Pevara sighed. She sat on her stool by his bench. "The Amyrlin has summand me every month since the Hall appointed me as the Black Tower's advisor," Androl raised his eyebrows, but he was more perturbed than angry, and overall mostly amused./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;""The Hall?" He teased./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;""With recommendations – oh, you know what I mean!" She barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes at him. "We meet every month, and she has not acted any differently to me since our first meeting, but I think more and more that she thinks I am not fully committed to the White Tower's best interest." She scowled at that and Androl snorted./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;""That's ridiculous. I'm confident that you tell the Amyrlin the number of rats in the grain stores and what Logain eats for breakfast. What do you think would give her that idea?" It was Pevara's turn to raise her eyebrows./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;""What?" He asked. How could he be so genuinely confused about this? "Oh! Oh. But I haven't been telling people about our marriage – and you certainly haven't. How would she know?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"She did not try to conceal her glare. "A sister's relationship with her Warder is not something that Aes Sedai talk about; she would em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"never/em ask me about it, and it would be obscene for me to bring it up." Being Red Ajah did not mean she was ignorant of propriety around Warders./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;""But think, Androl! It doesn't matter if anyone knows we're married – half the Black Tower knows we live together. Not to mention their… emcomments/emem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;" /emand speculations before that." Pevara did not appreciate the idea of people – full Aes Sedai, at that! – gossiping about her private life. "And I am sure that I am not the only one letting them know what is going on in the Black Tower regularly."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"Androl's dark eyes met her glare levelly. Her temper did not phase him. "If that were true, then she would have known all of that before agreeing to consider you for the appointment."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"She schooled her face, though she did not know why she bothered when he could feel her every emotion. "I am not too sure about that. There are really two possibilities, when it comes down to it. She could see me as an incompetent fool, blinded by my relationship to someone I'm working with. I could be recalled to the Tower, worse; if the Hall found out about the double bond there are sisters who would try to make me release your bond." She spat out that last part./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"Androl's eyebrows knit in anger. "You just said that other people couldn't involve themselves with another sister's Warder."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;""An Aes Sedai has been made to release a bond by the Hall before."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;""They cannot." He said firmly. "We tried before and I would have to release you first and I won't do that. Unless you wanted it."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"She gave him a small smile until he relaxed and turned his attention back to the leather strap in his hands. "The other possibility," she continued, "is that she hopes that living with you will make me privy to more information. That you will reveal things to me that Gabrelle cannot get out of Logain." She did not like that possibility much more than the other./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"Androl grunted. "Or, she could know and still think that you are capable and level-headed enough to still be relied upon as an adviser. Besides, it isn't as though we are being particularly secretive."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"They remained quiet for several minutes, his hands working steadily, she sat watching him. "I missed you." He said suddenly./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;""You could have come with me." She replied and instantly regretted doing so. Frustration sparked in him and it showed when he looked up at her. It was an old argument between them, one that she really had not meant to rekindle. Although the Black Tower had over fifty Aes Sedai walking its streets, none of the Asha'man would step foot in Tar Valon. As if, after two years of peaceful dealings, the White Tower would attack a man who could channel in their midst and throw away everything they were working towards./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"Androl opened his mouth, probably to say something impertinent in reply to her thoughts, but she cut him off and waved her hand dismissively. "No, we have talked enough about that… for now." He nodded and returned to his work. They disagreed, but they were both willing to put that aside. Besides there was no point in arguing when the other person was just stubborn./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"emI couldn't agree more./emem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;" /emAndrol Sent ruefully. Pevara had to bite her tongue to keep herself from sticking it out at him. Insufferable man! He chuckled./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"They sat in comfortable silence for a few more moments. Finally, Pevara stood and walked briskly over to Androl, allowing herself to drop beside him on the bench with an exhausted thud. They both scooted towards each other at the same time until the sides of their legs were pressed flush together from hip to ankle. She met his dark eyes and they both smiled. "I missed you, too." She said./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"Odd, that after such a relatively short time experiencing it, they could miss one another's thoughts in their heads. Pevara had spent over a hundred years on her own, for all intents and purposes, usually without anyone who she would even consider a friend. She also could not deny missing his physical presence, as foolish as it seemed to find security in that. The feeling coming from him was warm and threatened to make her blush. He must have been sensing her thoughts, but she already knew he felt the same./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"Androl laid down the strap to put an arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. If she had been told three years ago that she would be cuddling with a man – who could channel! – in a house they thought of as emtheirs/em and not emhis/em… She would have called the person telling her worse than a fool and might have birched her herself!/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"Lips pressed onto the top of her head and his arm tightened around her. "They will not make us release the bond. I won't do it." His voice was matter-of-fact, but his feelings behind them were fierce. She gave a soft laugh. "I know. I don't think the whole of the Red Ajah could make you!" The lips in her hair widened to a smile./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"He was amused and she also felt him growing very… warm through the bond, more intense than before. Light, she was really blushing now. She tilted her head up and saw color in his face too. Well, she supposed she was feeling much the same. The double bond had this effect sometimes, their emotion mirroring each other, quickly being magnified./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;"He brushed his lips against hers, but she caught his in a firm kiss before he could draw away. "I'm going to unpack, then get ready for bed." Pevara said, smiling. "Coming?" Her mouth was still inches away from his, their noses almost touching. Androl's smile in return was almost a grin. Another advantage to the bond – not much implication was necessary to get your point across./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;""I'll be up when you're done," He said./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%;""It won't take long." His hands lingered on her when got up to leave. emYes,/em she thought idol as she gathered her bags from the sitting room. emPevara two years ago would never accept this…/em/p 


End file.
